1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to casings for electronic medical devices, particularly those casings which provide protection for tissue stimulator controls.
2. Prior Art
Users of tissue stimulators, such as transcutaneous electronic nerve stimulators (TENS), often wear the stimulator attached to their clothing so that stimulation can occur during normal activity. In fact, in many cases, it is this stimulation which eases pain sufficiently to allow normal activity. One common technique for attachment of a stimulator is to provide a clip on a stimulator housing which the user can attach to his belt.
A pair of electrodes, or in some cases, two pair of electrodes, are attached to the user's skin. Lead wires then extend from the nerve stimulator, under the clothing, into the electrodes. One method is to run the lead wires over the belt and then inside the pants or shirt of the user. Very little of the lead wire is then visible during normal activity, so that the use of the device is not particularly obtrusive.
While the wearable tissue stimulator allows constant stimulation during normal activity, it is difficult to adjust and monitor without removal from the user's clothing. In order to check on the amplitude of the present stimulation, for example, the user must remove the device, check the setting, and then reattach it. In order to allow this movement, slack lead wire must be provided. Some users coil this slack wire and place it inside the belt. The excess wire is bulky and difficult to conceal under the clothing.
The prior art tissue stimulators do not provide a casing which allows easy manipulation of the stimulator controls without removal from the person, while protecting the controls from accidental activation.